Process for the production of low-carbon ferrozirconium



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH O. SICARD, OF BUFFALO, NEW

1,374,037. No nrawin g.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH C. SIoARn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the cit of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of ew York, have invented a certain new and useful Process for the Production of Low-Carbon F errozirconium, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In general this invention relates to a method or process of manufacturing and producing a low carbon ferro-zirconium and more particularly to a ferro-zirconlum alloy preferably having a carbon content of less than two per cent.

On June 1st, 1920, Letters Patent No. 1,341,939 were granted me on a process for the production of low carbon ferro-chrome. The process or method herein described is in some respects like that described in the said Letters Patent. That process, however, has been modified in the manner hereinafter set forth in order to apply it to the manufacture of low carbon ferro-zirconium.

In seeking to produce low carbon ferrozirconium heretofore, those skilled in the art have sought to decarbonize the ferro-zirconium by using a zirconium ore in combina tion with burnt lime; the lime in such case forms a protective blanket of slag over the molten metal. The zirconium ore then reacts with the ferro-zirconium which contains carbon and in time the zirconium ore is decarbonized. A great objection to this proc ess resides in the fact that the iron oxid which is present in the zirconium ore is more readily reduced than the oxid of zirconium with the result that when the final substantially decarbonized ferro-zirconium is obtained it is found to have a lower content of zirconium than the original high carbon material.

In the invention herein described, I have overcome the difiiculties above set forth.

In carrying out my invention, I use titanic oxid (TiO for the purpose of decarbonization. This oxid reacts with the carbon in the high carbon ferro-zirconium andforms titanium.

As a source of the titanic oxid, it is quite important that there be used some ore which contains a very small amount of iron oxid. For this purpose I preferably use rutile.

The reaction is carried out. preferably in an electric furnace of the well known are type. In this furnace is charged a mixture Specification of Letters Patent. v

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed July 28, 1920. Serial No. 398,612.

of the alloy of ferro-zirconium which has a certain carbon content and a quantity of rutile which will be suflicient to decarbonize the allo used. In place of the ferro-zirconium may use an alloy of zirconium and titanium WhlCh is high in carbon and then decarbonize it by the same process as hereinbefore set forth. Into this a charge of burnt lime is placed and melted down. The burnt lime forms a protective slag and when the reaction is complete the resulting alloy is tapped from the furnace.

Obviously, instead of-following the process exactly as hereinbefore set forth, the high carbon alloy could be first melted with a blanket of lime and then the titanic oxid could be added as the decarbonizing element.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 4

1. The method 'of making a low carbon alloy of iron and zirconium which consists in the decarbonization of a high carbon forgo-zirconium alloy by means of titanic 0x1 2. The method of making a low carbon alloy of iron and zirconium which consists in the decarbonization of a high carbon ferro-zirconium alloy by means of an ore high in titanic oxid and low in iron oxid.

3. The method of making a low carbon alloy of iron andzirconium which consists in the decarbonization of high carbon ferrozirconium alloy by means of rutile ore.

4. The method of making a low carbon alloy of iron and zirconium which consists in charging into an electric furnace a mixture of ferro-zirconium, high in carbon, and a sufficient quantity of titanic oxid to decarbonize the alloy.

5. A method of making low carbon alloys of iron and zirconium which consists in charging into an electric furnace a mixture of ferro-zirconium which is high in carbon and a sufficient quantity of rutile to decarbonize the alloy.

6. The method of making a low carbon alloy of iron and zirconium which consists in charging into an electric furnace a mixture of ferro-zirconium which is high in carbon, a suflicient quantity of titanic oxid to decarbonize the alloy and a sufficient quantity of burnt lime to form a protective slag.

'In testimony whereof, I havehereunto signed my name.

HUGH C. SICARD. 

